John's Blog

Write your congressperson about stem cells

So the house is considering two different stem cell bills right now. One is a pile of crap while the other allows for the creation of more stem cell lines without touching any embryos that weren't already going to be destroyed as medical waste. Here is the text of the email I sent:

As a biomedical researcher, and a registered Republican in your district, I write in strong support of H.R.810 "The Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act of 2005" and urge you to vote YES when this legislation comes to the House floor for a vote. This bill would allow federal funding for human embryonic stem cell research, a promising area that will increase our understanding of basic human biology and perhaps lead to cures for inborn errors of metabolism, diabetes or Parkinson's.

Although we must maintain ethical standards in conducting this research, using embryos that would otherwise be destroyed as medical waste is in no way a right to life issue.

Because the President's current policy restricts funding from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to stem cell lines derived before August 9, 2001, critical research has been delayed, hindering medical progress and even putting the US at competitive disadvantage on the world stage. Witness the breakthroughs in stem cell research announced this week by Korean researchers.

The best way to ensure that the US remains a world leader in this area is to pass H.R. 810, which would allow for advancement in this critical area, while providing an ethical framework for stem cell research. I thank you again for your support of H.R. 810 and hope you will do all that you can to move it towards passage by the House.

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